Jeremiah Project

O Canada.

Performed by the Jeremiah Project 2010 team in front of the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans!

These pictures help to share with all of our readers a little bit of out experience of the lower 9th ward. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but simply put, I am not quite sure how we would put into words that which we saw, heard and experienced.

These are a few photos taken by Cam Gray over the trip. Unfortunately his camera ran into some problems early  in the week and he wasn’t able to shoot the whole time, but will post the remainder of his pictures soon.

Hey folks,

Today’s blog entry is coming from the rich vocabulary and deep thoughts of Josh and Cam, as narrated by Cam.

The past couple of days we have been working on finishing the tile scraping, grouting and sealing. This was unfortunately our last day both in New Orleans and working on Mr Hammond’s house, but we finished on a very high note. All three units are scraped, the first two are grouted and the first one is fully sealed. For those of you that don’t know, that IS a lot of work, even if it doesn’t sound like that very much. To give you an idea, my hands and fingers still have virtually no sensation in them and my wrists are incredibly sore, evidently my technique wasn’t too good.

Regardless of the pain, sweat and at times boredome from our repetetive jobs, this has been incredibly worthwhile. Yesterday we were priveleged enough to get to meet Mr Hammond. He was literally bouncing off the walls with sheer glee when he saw the tiles since they had been grouted. It was pretty amazing to get to see him after hearing his story and at the same time it left the group on a very high note.

After work today we had a quick debrief session, which allowed us to talk with the project organizers including the representatives from Episcopal Community Services. The project at Mr Hammond’s house is estimated to continue over the next month and will leave him with his own home and two additonal units to rent to young families looking to be re-housed in the 7th Ward.

The project and the work that we have done this week will be both remembered, but also will be continued in the coming weeks, months and years. We recognize that our work has really only scratched the surface of what’s needed to fully rebuild New Orleans, but there is definitely hope. Moreover, it is our hope that the style of work that has started here through the ECS be re-applied across the US and the Episcopal Church. We of course also hope that the Anglican Church of Canada and organizations such as the Primates World Relief and Development Fund continue to promote community development both within and outside of Canada.

Through various highs and lows, we have truly learned the values of community. While we came here as a group largely unknown to one another, we will fly back tomorrow with a greater respect, appreciation and understanding of each other. We do not celebrate our departure from New Orleans, but we do look forward to sharing the words and lessons that we have learned this past week. I am sure that some of us will return, some may not, but what matters wil be how we apply and share our time with those around us. Living in community and in harmony with another is a valuable experience and we as Canadians need to recognize its value at all times. Through areas such as Haiti or New Orleans we see the creation of community through disaster, why can we not have that community at all times?

Let us as Canadians and as global citizens go forth and build houses, live together, plant gardens, eat and feed one another and live in harmony. Through this we will be able to truly say, WE DAT!

Hey y’all,

Kira and Reid here to reflect upon the goings on down here in New Orleans. As I’m sure you all know yesterday was Mardi Gras and it was crazy. The day actually started with a quick debrief to relfect on the previous days activities. That was followed by a quick blitz of cleaning where we scrubbed, tidy and vaccuumed our sleeping area, bathrooms, and the common kitchen.

Once everything was sparkling, even Mary Poppins would be proud, we went on a ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ schemed up by Andrew and Linda. With the gps telling us where to go we eventually arrived on Stephen Girard to the house the 2009 team had worked on. It was pretty awesome to see the place and see that their work made a difference, it was a helpful reminder of just how important it is to be here, even if we can’t see that while staring at grout lines.

After we returned we decided to hit up the final Mardi Gras parade aptly title Rex. Little did we know that poor Dexter had already entered the house and was not aware of our departure to St. Charles. It wasn’t until 20 min of watching the parade and jumping for beads Linda decided to do a head count and realized our group of ten was missing a member. Running (read walking quickly) back to the house she retrieved Dexter and they rejoined the group. Shortly there after Dexter climbed onto Josh’s shoulders in a successful attempt to grab more beads. Two hours later the parade ends and we return home exhausted wearing so many beads some of us, Linda, needed help to remove them from our necks.

Once the beads were organized and taped we descended into the kitchen to begin the task of making potato pancakes for 30 people. And what a task it was, peeling, grating, straining and frying. After a few test batches we had the technique down pat and they turned out amazing. The Toronto team also helped prepare our Shrove Tuesday Feast by making several batches of regular pancakes. Thanks guys!

The night ended with several rowdy hands of Uno, followed by a violent session of Jungle Speed. An amazing game everyone should buy, but it may draw blood. Then early to bed for church in the morn.

6:30am Wednesday morning the alarms start going off so we can get ready for a 7:30 Ash Wednesday services at Christ Church Cathedral, just round the corner from where we’re staying. The service received mixed reviews from the group as it was a very traditional service, something many of us are not used to. However it was a good expierence, especially being able to compare it to All Souls. Afterwards the priest opened up the doors to the main sanctuary so we could look around. It is an impressive space with beautiful painted glass windows, wood carvings and organ pipes everywhere.

Following the tour we returned, talked about the expierence and then readied ourselves for another work day at Mr. Hammond’s. We arrived on site a little after 10 and promptly got to work. While there was still some scraping to be done most of the day was spent laying grout down. Spirits were much higher today, being able to see the difference our work was making in the space was a huge boost. Several hours and three out of four rooms later we cleaned up, hit up Rally’s (a delicous fast food resteraunt) and headed back to our Seventh Street home.

At five we had a visiter named Pete. He’s a volunteer coordinator with the Episcopal Community Services. He came to talk to us about what actually happened during Hurricane Katrina and the resulting levee failure, successfully meeting his goal of attempting to ‘debunk’ some myths.

Well we’ve got to go make spaghetti and salad. If you would like to learn more about what Episcopla Community Servies is doing check escla.org, and have an excellent night.

Hey everybody! Lauren and Jackie updating for the group today! It’s been a busy time from the moment we landed so please excuse our lateness.  Travel was quick and painless, no airport horror stories to report. Upon arrival we were greeted by some authentic New Orleans hospitality! Everyone enjoyed a traditional meal of red beans and rice that Pastor Rich and his wife Cinda prepared for us. Then it was off to bed for a good rest before early morning church.

On Sunday we attended the Episcopal Church of All Souls in the Lower Ninth. They gather in an old pharmacy still being repaired and restructured from Katrina.  We joined in worship and fellowship with the local congregation, and were blown away by the enthusiasm and faith of the locals. We learned of an after school children’s program the church runs for 33 youths. They provide meals and tutoring, as well as a small music program for about 15, it truly was inspiring. Afterwards we were granted an opportunity to walk around the Lower Ninth to see what work had been done and what work still remained after the devastation of Katrina. The X’s still marking the front of the houses were haunting. This really put into context what it was we are here to do.

Sunday night we experienced our first Mardis Gras parade and local culture. The turn out was astounding. We knew after the Saints won the Superbowl it would be big…but this was HUGE! One man we talked to said that the festival had almost finished it’s run last year…he thought it had been the last Mardis Gras the city would see. For him it was a miracle to see life breathed back into the people of New Orleans in this gathering. And yes…we did collect some beads.

Monday morning it was off to work…and almost as chilly as home! After a few wrong turns we made it to the warehouse where we were set up with our crew chiefs and the story behind what they had been doing during the reconstruction. The man we are working for is 71 year old Mr. Hammond,  who owns 6 units in the 7th Ward.  He did not evacuate the city because he wanted to stay to protect his property. He was forced to chisel a hole in the roof to escape the rising flood waters. He was flown out of the city and lived with his son for a time before managing to get back into city.  He currently lives in a trailer at the back of his property, we are repairing the unit he will move back into. Check out the links below to see his story that was told in the Washington Post and New York Times. Many of us surprised by the sheer hope and determination Mr. Hammond has, which in turn has motivated and further inspired the work we are doing. Our task was to scrape tiling to prepare for the grouting we will do on Wednesday. Not the most thrilling work perhaps, but certainly nessesary and with the help of conversation and music we made it through. It helps to remember that this is the least we can do for someone who has lost everything but manages to stay hopeful and faithful.

We spent alot of time during the afternoon reflecting on what we’ve experienced in New Orleans thus far, and giving thought to where we’ve seen God in our wanderings.

Monday we experienced more New Orleans hospitality, as supper was brought to us completely by surprise and was all the more welcomed for it! The people here truly are amazing. We attended another parade, collected some more beads, and were amazed by the behaviour of the crowds. Back in Canada, a gathering of this size and intensity would certainly warrant some rowdy behaviour, but everyone was gracious and joyful.

So now we leave you on the morning of Shrove Tuesday, we welcome everyone to enjoy their pancakes or whatever they eat or do to celebrate this day!  Keep checking for updates, and feel free to make comments or reflections on this post!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/us/08trailer.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/recession-road/2009/07/post_14.html

Well, today is the day. Andrew, Linda, Adam, Cameron, Josh, Reid, Jackie, Lauren, Dexxter and Kira are off to New Orleans.

Last evening we gathered at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for a commissioning service. A big thank you to everyone who supported us, both at the church and in your thoughts and prayers.

This journey, this pilgrimage that we embark on, is filled with much paradox. The celebration of Mardi Gras juxtaposed with the desolation of the ninth ward. The no-holds-barred nature of Fat Tuesday set against the stark wilderness of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

Yet, together, we are off. One can hardly begin to speculate what we will experience, what we will encounter and how we will be changed. Instead of speculating, we will simply pray. Pray that God will open our hearts and minds to that which we will encounter. We pray that God will breathe new life into the Jeremiah 29 passage we discuss so often. We pray in sure and certain hope that God walks with us on this journey.

The flights are booked, the accomodations are settled, we’ve been commissioned. Now, we’re off!

We boldly ask for your continued prayers and support as we embark on this journey. Stay tuned for updates from New Orleans!

*In preparation for our coming together, and heading to New Orleans, each participant was asked to reflect on a passage from Jeremiah. As we prepare our hearts and minds for the trip, we will be featuring an excerpt from these reflection each day until we depart. These excerpts are posted with the author’s permission.

An Excerpt from the Reflection on Revelation 3:14-22 by A. Stephens-Rennie:

Behold, the voice said. Behold.

Behold. I’m at the door and knocking

All the while you’re inside blocking out the sights and sounds of all that surrounds, ignoring that call to get in on the ground floor, to get off your ass and open the front door.

Step on up, the knocker dares. Step on up, invite me in. Step on up, and see if it’ll change you.

Step on up, people. People get ready, there’s a train a comin.’ You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.

All the while the doubters lie there and stare. What’s the use in getting ready when we got 57 channels and nothing on.

But it’s on alright, you mighta seen it the other night. I saw it in the papers, and I read the news, all those blog reader updates breaking through my tweeting depression and facebook blues.

It’s on alright, I can tell you it’s on.

The game, it’s on, it’s going on around us. And those Saints, they’re here to surround us, a cloud of witnesses to bear, to testify, to rectify the injustices of the past, to rise at long last from those troubled waters and a nation that’s forgotten kids shooting kids in trashcan schools, neighbourhoods leveled and oily gulf coast pools.

Lest we forget the fallen of this battle, too, let’s pause and be honest here tonight.

This work implicates me, and it implicates you.

Behold, the voice says. Behold.

Behold, I’m at the door and I’m knocking.

The work in Louisiana and the work in Ottawa isn’t near done. Kingdom work is never done.

But it’s on, alright, I can tell you it’s on.

Maybe you’ve seen it, heard it, felt it. Maybe you’re starting to see that Aslan’s on the move. We’re here, aren’t we? And we’ve heard the knocks on the door.

Bodies bend and broken by a long and dangerous sleep, those nail-pierced hands are knocking, and inviting us to open the door to an open table.

Beneath the radar on this underground railroad, the Saints, they’ve been marching. All this time, the Saints been marching in. Coming home from the four winds, gathering, working. Rebuilding a city, a state, and – in their spare time – a football team.

You can hear the masses chanting as they roll down St. Charles:

“Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gunna beat them Saints?”

This week, there’s no-one. This week, there’s nothing left to do but get on board.

Rebuilding communities and rebuilding lives. Finding welfare in the joys of a brow-beaten city come home. Hope for a city in shambles that knows the work isn’t done.

So Lord, this is it. This is our chance. And we’re taking it right, entering the fight, hopping on a flight to join them Saints. Because, Lord, O Lord, we’re gonna be in that number, when the Saints go Marching in.

*This was used as part of the commissioning service sermon on Friday, February 12, 2010.

*In preparation for our coming together, and heading to New Orleans, each participant was asked to reflect on a passage from Jeremiah. As we prepare our hearts and minds for the trip, we will be featuring an excerpt from these reflection each day until we depart. These excerpts are posted with the author’s permission.

An Excerpt from the Reflection on Jeremiah 29:5-7 by K. Conibear:

For me this passage is about how working by as a community you can recreate a community. No one can to everything but everyone can do something, cheesy I know but true none the less. Where one persons knowledge lets off someone else’s will cover the gap, this is how a community works to help rebuild after a disaster, be it exile or natural disaster.

I find there to be a great degree of hope in this reading, a hope for the future. Especially in the final sentence “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare”. It is a simple message care and pray for your city and it will give you what you need. What adds to the power though is that “the city” doesn’t have to just be the land and buildings but the people that live there. If you care and pray for your people they will return the favour. I find there to be little that is more powerful, more moving, than people banning together in a time of need and crisis to help each other.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 is about the power of a people in need. As great as their need maybe when everyone works together they can over come it. What we need to learn for the passage to be truly effective is that our community extends beyond our neighbourhood, campus, parish and extends around the world to where ever there are people in need. You may not know anyone when you start helping but by the end you’ll understand how anyone can feel like family and everyone is a part of our community

*In preparation for our coming together, and heading to New Orleans, each participant was asked to reflect on a passage from Jeremiah. As we prepare our hearts and minds for the trip, we will be featuring an excerpt from these reflection each day until we depart. These excerpts are posted with the author’s permission.

An Excerpt from the Reflection on Jeremiah 29:5-7 by R. Moody

We have to stop convincing ourselves that the people in New Orleans are going to be just fine. The passage states how integral the home is and can be seen as an allegory. Housing is entirely necessary and is a base for all of our lives; without it, we can found nothing else. Homes were taken from the innocent citizens of New Orleans through catastrophic event, and without them, they have nothing at all. If they don’t have a home, where will they eat, where will they seek shelter, and how can their families succeed?

I’m fortunate enough to have the security a house, and quite honestly, I take it for granted. And I do believe that a large portion of people are in that same position as I am. It’s almost like we love what our lives have become, and never have the time to show any gratitude for it. I think if I had a firsthand experience in seeing somebody without something that we consider so simple and regular like a home, the reality would be evident. I think I’d be able to see how important housing is, not to just the individual, but to building a community.